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Monday, April 25, 2011

Know what my current hassle is? Keeping the floors clean. We have two dogs. Cute. Adorable. Mindlessly barking. Mini Dachshunds. (why in the world can I never spell that word correctly on the first try?) Ace and Sissy love us unconditionally. But, they also track in so much crud that my floors are NEVER EVER clean. I sweep. I mop. I Swiffer. I dust. (Thankfully, no vacuuming, as we have all hardwoods...well, except the stairs...but, I do those with a handvac.) And, always there is dirt and mud and yuck on the floors. Little puppy paw footprints trail through the house. (At least I know where they have been, I guess.) Trying to keep the floors clean can be such a hassle.

Know what isn't a hassle? Hasselback Potatoes. These pretty, roasted potatoes may look like a lot of trouble, but honestly, the prep is quite simple. I plopped my scrubbed russets down on the cutting board between two chopsticks to use as a guide to not cut clear through the potato as I sliced. Tucking thin slices of garlic and slivers of butter between the layers insures a delightfully flavored, creamy flesh while the skins crisp up beautifully. These potatoes are the best of both the crispy almost-potato-chip world and hearty baked potatoes. It is absolutely not a hassle to have Hasselback Potatoes On My Plate.

Preheat the oven to 425.Put the potato on a cutting board, flat side down, between two chopsticks.Starting from one end of the potato, cut almost all the way through (using the chopsticks as a guide to stop cutting) at about 3 to 4 mm intervals.Arrange the potatoes on a baking sheet.Insert the garlic in between every other layer. Insert butter between the opposite layers.Drizzle with olive oil.Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.Bake the potatoes for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes turn crispy and the flesh is soft. (Serves 4)